Neuro-transmitters and hormones can induce their cellular effects by binding to and activating membrane bound receptors. The neuro-peptide galanin was isolated in 1983 from porcine upper intestine and was found to contain 29 amino acid residues (Tatemoto, K., et al, FEBS Lett., 164 (1983) 124-128). The sequences of galanin from two other mammals, rat and cow, have been described (Vrontakis M. E., et al, J. Biol. Chem. 262(1987) 16755-16758; Kaplan L. M. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85(1988) 1065-1069 and Rokaeus .ANG.. and Carlquist M., FEBS Lett. 234 (1988) 400-406). A comparison of the peptide sequence of galanin from the mammals rat, porcine and bovine reveals that the N-terminal amino acids 1-15 are identical. Thus, it is most likely that said conserved region will be found in galanin from other mammals, including man.
Galanin has a wide pattern of distribution, often correlating with multiple neuro-formula actions exerted in a variety of different systems.
Hitherto no galanin antagonists, which are galanin receptor ligands, have been reported. A galanin antagonist would be a useful tool in determining the physiological significance of galanin and to develope pharmaceutical preparations for the regulation of the physiological function of galanin at the galanin receptor.